VR Training – VRSUN

This latest update introduces a new High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) studio designed to get your heart rate racing.

I think it goes without saying – there’s no shortage of high-quality VR fitness games and apps available at the moment. Whether it be the professionally-curated workout regiments featured in Supernatural and FitXR or physically engaging experiences like The Climb 2, Thrill of the Fight, and Holofit, VR is proving itself to be a genuine replacement for brick-and-mortar gyms. Just ask Facebook.

This is precisely why FitXR’s latest update is such a big deal. Best known for its rhythm-based boxing and dance classes, this latest update introduces a new High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) studio aimed at improving your agility, endurance, and reaction speeds. What is HIIT you ask? Put simply, this is an extremely popular form of interval training designed to get the heart pumping by performing short bursts of intense activity with little time for recovery. According to research, this can be a great option for those looking to burn serious calories while decreasing blood pressure. That being said, these types of exercises can be physically exhausting.

Thankfully, FitXR’s new HIIT classes feature instructor lead classes to help guide you through each workout. In addition to the physically demanding Fitness Activity classes, there are also Reaction Activity classes designed to improve your reflexes by having you hit a wall composed of fast-moving targets. According to the company, these HIIT classes are directly inspired by the training used to prepare professional-level F1 drivers.

“We’re excited to launch a brand new way to workout with FitXR with the introduction of HIIT classes,” said Sam Cole, CEO & Co-Founder, in an official statement. “We were inspired by the rush of endorphins and sense of achievement you get from completing a high-intensity class, and a desire to continuously develop and evolve the FitXR virtual fitness club. The HIIT Studio brings a style of workout that is completely different, but equally as fun and entertaining. We know how important variety is for our community, who use FitXR every day to reach their fitness goals.”

FitXR’s new HIIT studio is available now on Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2 headsets with three introductory classes available free of charge. Those looking for more can sign up for a FitXR subscription ($9.99 per month) to unlock a new mix of HIIT, Boxing, and Dance classes every week.

As the fitness community continues its embrace of immersive technology, the integration of popular workout trends in VR games and apps will only become more prevalent moving forward. The support for HIIT training marks a major milestone for FitXR and the VR fitness industry as a whole, offering users a purely fitness-focused experience. That being said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Crossfit, mixed martial arts, yoga; there’s still so much potential left untapped.

“With HIIT studio, FitXR is truly pushing the boundaries,” added Cole. “This is the start of the next phase of what’s possible to achieve in VR fitness.”

For more information check out the official Oculus blog post.

Feature Image Credit: FitXR

SimX secures a $2.5M contract with the Air Force and Space Force.

The VR company SimX has announced a new partnership with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force—yes, the U.S. Space Force—to develop VR training programs for special operations forces that will focus primarily on enhancing current medical training systems for both divisions.

The program will yield four individual contracts totaling over $1.5 million dollars, which is part of a $2.5 million dollar research and development program cleverly referred to as “Virtual Advancement of Learning and Operational Readiness (VALOR),” with funds being allocated to adapt SimX’s VR medical simulation platform so it can be used during aerial and space operations with both the Air Force and the Space Force.

The goal of the partnership is to enable the special operations medical personnel of the 24th Special Operations Wing (SOW)’s Special Tactic operators to “train how they fight.” This includes pararescuemen and combat controllers as well as the special unit’s medics and the Special Operations Surgical Teams.

Both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force will receive Tactical Combat Casualty Care based experience as well as standard medical training across the continuum of care in various medical roles. Any newly developed processes will be fielded for operational testing and evaluation at the existing SimX deployments at installations across the U.S. as well as the USAF installation in Europe and Asia.

SimX’s VR medical training platform—recognized around the world by institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, Stanford, Northwestern, the University of Pennsylvania to name a few—allows individuals to train together in a multiplayer “holodeck-like” experience. The VR training doesn’t use dropdown menus or prompts. Instead, you interact with virtual patients the same way you would in a real-life scenario. Basically, the training replicates the real-world stress operators may face in the field while reinforcing relevant medical techniques, tactics, and protocols through a learn-by-doing process.

“The practice of medicine depends on high performance teams working together fluidly and transferring knowledge and responsibility rapidly, efficiently, and effectively,” said Karthik V. Sarma, VALOR Principal Investigator and Chief Technology Officer at SimX, in an official press release, adding, “The USAF and USSF’s continued investment in the VALOR program will enable us to continue to push the envelope of VR medical training by ensuring that we can train for these critical interactions.”

**Image Credit: United States Space Force**

The VALOR program was conceived to bolster overall medical capabilities and improve the survival rate of individuals injured during combat. Col. John R Dorsch, Wing Surgeon of the 24th Special Operations Wing and medical director of the Air Force’s Pararescue career field, sees the value in VALOR, saying, “Expanding and innovating capabilities is critical for ensuring the highest level of combat trauma and austere medical care is provided by special operators and medical personnel.”

Dorsch envisions the program stretching out beyond the 24th SOW’s units that are stationed around the country. According to Dorsch, SimX’s VR medical training program will be used at the new Special Operations Center for Medical Integration and Development (SOCMID); a collaboration between the University of Alabama-Birmingham and the U.S. Air Force that is focused on seeking out the next generation of standardized training for Special Operations Surgical Team members, pararescuemen, and independent duty medical technicians.

To learn more about SimX and their VR work visit simxvr.com.

Feature Image Credit: U.S. Air Force (Tech. Sgt. Sandra Welch)

‘FitXR’ Just Took VR Fitness To The Next Level

Space Force Using Holodeck-like VR For Medical Training